Exhileration and the Vigil
by Slightly Confused Kitty
Summary: Collection of HinaNeji oneshots. Alternating POV. #1 It was a little-known fact that Hinata love to ride horses. It was a much less known fact that her cousin was the reason and the single observer. #2 Neji breaks his character in the storybook world.
1. Exhileration and Vigil

Exhilaration and the Vigil

Summary: HinaNeji. It was a little-known fact that Hinata love to ride horses. It was a much less known fact that her cousin was the reason and the single observer.

Edit: January 15, 2010

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I just felt so detached from reality, pressed low to the horse's neck, the animal's muscles surging forward and pulling me along, faster than I could ever go on my own. The night wind keened in my freezing ears and the coarse, roan strands of the mane slashed at my face, but I didn't mind.

_The ride always left her breathless and sweaty, panting for air, her numb fingers still snarled in the horse's hair. Her cheeks would be pink with exertion, excitement and, he knew from experience, warmth. Her pale eyes were always wide and deep with the sheer, unadulterated joy of the experience and the sparking adrenaline still dancing through her. Her dark violet hair stuck to her face, as though it was cradling her cheeks. She was always perfect, far beyond stunning right after a good run, far better than when she was primped and fussed over._

It was the extreme confinement, I reasoned, that made this so much more exhilarating. After all, a caged bird will be ecstatic at the chance to fly, a chance the free bird takes for granted.

_She always looked so free and uninhibited. He wished she could stay that way, that she never had to return to the masked faces and intrinsic deception that was her duty. He wished he could protect her from that. Then she could always be in her shining, glorious bubble of joy that let all the care lines be swept off her face._

The ride, the ride! Practically flying, my senses on overdrive, picking up every shift of weight, of movement, and I was _one_ with the speechless, powerful creature I flew with. It was an irreplaceable gift I had been given, these beautiful, blurred memories all through the docile-looking, grass-munching horse. The one important detail was also blurred, though. Who had given her this opening, this horse? If only I could try to capture my thankfulness in words, in mere actions! But it was a feeling, a swelling, pounding feeling like horses' hooves. And that could never be expressed. Whoever it was, I would thank them as much as I could when I found out. Until then…

_Maybe, one day after riding, she would notice him, standing just out of sight, watching, guarding. Maybe one day he would be allowed the honor of seeing her so _alive,_ up close. Maybe one day he would tell her who gave her the horse… but until then…_

**Hinata would ride and soar and nearly scream her joy to the pre-dawn skies as she rode horses, and Neji would watch and admire and guard.**

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A/N: For those who are confused-

Normal type, first person is Hinata, italics and third person is Neji. Hinata's part is mainly describing riding horses, and Neji's is about watching her. Hinata doesn't know that Neji watches or originally gave her the horse. Thanks to ImCutePoison for pointing out the confusion.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Complaints?


	2. Sun and Moon

_Who was he to unkindly shatter this storybook moment? The trees framed the bench where the two whispered, and the half-full moon let their happy little faces glow. The last beams of the setting sun stretched across a lilac, velvet sky and faded the colors of the sky. The curved bench overlooked picturesque, grass-flowing hills that rimmed a coldly shining lake. This was an ideal scene for the boy of the courageous sun and the girl of the gleaming moon to meet. He had always hated those __**convenient**__ pairings, so symmetrical and sickeningly __**perfect**__. The children's books had never shown the girl's older cousin lurking in the corner of the drawing. Only the blissful couple. Maybe that was how it was meant to be._

The surrounding twilight created a soft, warm atmosphere, but also a feeling of everything being poised, waiting for night, but still clutching on to the last rays of the day, reluctant to retire to the cold. A half-way point, a pause in the endless chase of moon and sun, and the two of us were the only ones who could move about. Somehow, something in this perfect symmetry was off, wrong somehow. I smiled the idea away and lost myself in the moment.

_ He didn't belong here, in this ideal little scene, and he was undeserving of the small bit of spotlight he did steal from the main characters. Only he didn't believe that they should be the main characters. He would not leave._

His eyes reflected the moonlight, and a thought of my clan flashed across my vision. The light gilded his eyes to be pale, almost colorless. Neji always corrected me at this point, telling me white contained _all_ colors. But the wide, genuine grin on Naruto's face displaced this momentary illusion.

_The two stared into each other's shimmering eyes and a throbbing –anger? frustration? why didn't he know?! He was supposed to be __**sure!**_ _- twined around in his chest, like the thrashing tail of a lizard. But this could only ever be a decoy, and should be ignored in the pursuit of a greater prize, a higher purpose._

Promises, unfamiliar to my clan-bred ears, poured, erupted, _gushed_ in a river from him, and he wanted to _prove _everything to me, to show me he was strong, worthy, that I could trust him. He wanted to make a blood oath, with his own blood.

_He saw a flash of steel and then his patience and readiness fueled him. The Uzumaki boy was pinned to the still sun-warmed grass before he could threaten any more. Neji was not the hero, he am not the main character, but he **was**____the protector and he __**will**__ protect. This was and is where he belongs._

Naruto managed to shoot an almost knowing look at me before his face was reintroduced with the blades of grass. He had chuckled and assured me contentedly about my cousin, and now I truly believed it. Neji, however aloof, clan-molded, and proud, was first and foremost loyal to me. I could see it on every vein that pumped chakra in my defense, in the slight, subtle glance to assuage the edge of fear that _maybe he was too late maybe he failed._

_Maybe the storybook couple were __**meant to be**__, but one of those two, ironically inspired me to challenge destiny and all those __**meant to be**__'s._

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A/N: In response to a request for a sequel.

Second chapter: 1st person this time, normal type is STILL Hinata, 3rd person italics is STILL Neji. Neji is watching Hinata on a date with Naruto. Naruto wants to PROVE he won't hurt Hinata by making a blood vow. (because this is NARUTO, come on, you KNOW he would.) So he takes out a kunai, to cut himself with. Neji sees, and goes on instant protect-Hinata-sama-destroy-threat mode. Naruto knew, or suspected that Neji was there, and is actually trying to get Neji and Hinata together. Again, thank ImCutePoison for pointing out confusion.

(Contrary to apparent popular belief, authors do NOT rabidly attack anyone who reviews. Well, most authors don't. Well, **I **don't.)

Questions, comments, complaints, corrections, suggestions, likes, dislikes, mentions, thoughts welcome.


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